Vilhelm Melbye (Danish 1824-1882)
Steam Frigate 'Sjaelland' in High Seas
oil on canvas, signed and dated lower left "Villhelm Melbye 1874". Depicts the Danish auxiliary steam frigate 'Sjaelland' cruising under shortened sail before a strong breeze and following seas.
Size: 42 ¾ x 66 ¼ in (with frame 54 ¼ x 80 ¼ in)
Provenance: Ritz Carlton, Marina Del Ray, California
This stunning work by renowned Danish marine artist Vilhelm Melbye depicts the famous steam frigate Sjaelland, known for its part in the naval battle of Jasmund during the Second Schleswig War on March 17, 1864. She was the middle of three sister ships, the Niels Juel, Sjaelland, and Jylland which were sail and screw propelled steam frigates as well as sailing ships, the world’s largest wooden war ships. Fregatten Jylland is preserved today as a museum in Ebeltoft, Denmark and considered a national treasure.
Vilhelm Melbye is one of Denmark’s most celebrated marine artists, the middle and best known of the three artistic brothers Anton, Vilhelm and Fritz. His early work produced in Copenhagen before travelling abroad consists mainly of views around the city harbours and the surrounding fishing villages, and he was one of the first artists to paint the coastal area of Skagen at the northern tip of Jutland. He preferred a realistic style, often depicting romantic or dramatic scenes. Studying at the Danish Royal Academy in Copenhagen from 1844 to 1847, Vilhelm took lessons under his elder brother Anton as well as private classes in perspective drawing from the Carl Dahl. He travelled extensively abroad travelling to London, Dusseldorf, Paris, the Netherlands and throughout the Mediterranean, and was influenced by the Dusseldorf School. He lived and worked in London where he anglicized his signature to ‘Wilhelm Melby’ and there are numerous depictions of Gibraltar and the Meditarranean from this time. He exhibited regularly at the Danish Royal Academy, becoming a Professor and head of the Academy in 1880. Vilhelm Melbye’s romantic and realistic style is successful at offering dramatic depictions of shipwrecks and adventures at sea. Examples of his work can be found in public and private collections internationally, including the National Gallery of Canada.
ZJ19886
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